Call-bell clock.



J. V. WILLIFORD.

CALL BELL CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 19x5- PatentedJune 4, 1918.

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APPLlC/Eti? FEED NOV. 6,1915.

Patented June 4;, 1918.

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J. V. WILLIFORD.

CALL BELL CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. ma,

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'J'AOOB V. 'WILLIFOBD, OF MOUNT VERNON, IIIHTOIS.

cum-BELL CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application fled November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB V. WILLrroRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of J efierson and State of Illinois, have invented new and ,USQfll]. Improvements in Call-Bell Clocks,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic call bell clocks by means of which 1 .a bell or alarm, or a number of alarms, at a remote place may be caused to be rung or sounded and has particular application to a call bell clock which will be found especially useful in schools, hotels, rooming houses and analogous places.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to improve and simplify the general construction of automatic call bell 'dered operative at predetermined intervals irrespective of the operation of the other signal or signals and this circuit closing means is under the control of a clock or chronometer. v

An important object is the provision of members associated with contacts engaged by the hands whereby the hands may be caused to have snap engagement with the contacts without danger of retarding the ac* tion of the clock, these members also being movable into engagement with the contacts to serve as a continuation thereof to provide means for prolonging the duration of a circuit.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings;

. Figure 1 is avface view of an automatic call bell clock constructed in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the dial re moved.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the dial.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view paratus, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of the apparatus.

of the ap- Referring now to the drawings in detail,

1 designates a clock of any suitable or preferred construction, such clock embodying an upper dial compartment 2 and a lower compartment 3 designed to house the pendulum or analogous mechanism of the clock and capable of containing the battery of electric current cells employed for energizing the calling bells or other signals. 4

. designates the dial of the clock and through the center of such dial projects the arbor 5, I

while mounted uponthe outer end of the arbor and rotatable over the face of the dial are the hour and minute hands 6 and 7 respectively, the minute hand being relatively long when compared with the length of the hour hand, as usual.

In accordance with my present invention, Isecure to the rear face-0f the dial inner and outer rings 8 .and 9 disposed concentrically of each other and of the dial and inner and outer contact rings 10 and 11 respectively disposed concentrically of each other and of the rings 8 and 9 and spaced apart a relatively great distance from the rings 8 and 9. These various rings are formed of metal or other material capable of conducting an. electriccurrent and v formed in each ring are threaded openings 12 and appropriately spaced apart and registering with apertures 13 respectively formed in the dial. The openings in the rings 8 and 9 are spaced apart distances corresponding with the minute graduations Y on the dial. The openings in the rings 10 and 11 are spaced apart distances. corre spending with the indications on the dial. Threaded into the respective openings in the ring 11 are contact studs 13' having the outer ends thereof equipped with rectangular heads l4, while threaded into'the respective openings 1n. the ring 10 are Contact studs 15 having the outer ends thereof equipped with rectangular heads 16 ar-,

end of the hour hand 6 is adapted to Wipe over the heads of the studs 17 in the rings 8 and 9, while the outer end of the minute hand 7 is designed to wipe over the heads of the studs in the rings 10 and 11 and in order to insure good electrical contact between the outer ends of the hands and the respective studs, the outer extremity of each hand is bent downwardly as at 18. Secured to the outer surface of the dial in advance of the heads 14 are sectors 19 each having the upper edge thereof inclined upwardly from the end remote from the particular stud so that the outer end of the minute hand will ride upon such inclined edge previous to engaging the stud and when the outer end of the hand leaves the relatively high end of the sector, such end of the hand snaps into engagement with the contact stud, thereby positively engaging the contact and as the hand rides over the edge of the sector the outer extremity thereof is cleaned and relieved of any dirt or other foreign matter thereon, by scraping over the sectors 19.

It is to be noted that the sectors are secured upon the face of the clock by means of screws passing through slots in the sectors and into the face of the clock. This construction permits the sectors to be adjusted so as to engage the adjacent contacts and serve as a continuation thereof when desired as will be hereinafter made apparent.

Mounted in the compartment 3 is an electric battery 20 and leading from one terminal of the battery 20 is a conductor 21 secured to the ring 10, while leading from the ring 8 is a conductor 22 terminally connected with a binding post 23 on the body of the clock and from the binding post 23 leads a conductor 24: terminally connected with one side of a bell 25 or other signal device. Connected with the remaining side of the bell 25 is one end of a conductor 26 having the remaining terminal thereof secured to a bindin post 27 mounted upon the body of the c ock and preferably disposed adjacent to the binding post 23. 28 designates a switch arranged in the compartment 3 and one side of the switch 28 is connected by means of a conductor 29 with the binding post 27 and the remaining side of the switch is, connected with the other terminal of the battery 20 by means of a conductor 30.

31 designates a second battery mounted in the compartment 3 and one side of the battery 31 is connected with the ring 11 by means of a conductor 32, while leading from the ring 9 is a conductor 33 terminally connected to a binding post 34: mounted upon the body of the clock. 35 designates a buzzer or other signal and one side of the buzzer 35 is connected with the binding post 31 by means of a conductor 36, while the other side of the buzzer is connected with a binding post 37 mounted upon the body of the clock adjacent to the post 34: by means of a conductor 38 and from the conductor 38 leads a conductor 39 terminally connected with one side of a switch 10 disposed in proximity to the switch 28, the remaining side of the switch 40 being connected with the other terminal of the battery 31 by means of'a conductor 41. i

The operation is as follows: The device is applicable for use in hotels, for calling the occupants of rooms, or in class rooms in schools, or for announcing a particular time, and for many other purposes, and for example, when it is desired to energize the bell 25 at 8:55 oclock and the buzzer at 9 oclock, as in a school, contact studs are secured in the rings 8 and 9 in the positions that the hour hand will occupy when the minute hand is on 11 and 12 respectively, while con tact studs are secured in the rings 10 and 11 in positions corresponding to the symbols 11 and 12 respectively on the dial, and the switches 28 and 10 closed. At 8:55 the hour and minute hands will be in engagement with the studs in the rings 8 and 10 respectively and current will flow from one side of the battery 20, through the conductor 21, the ring 10, the stud 15, minute hand 7 hour hand 6, the stud 17 in the ring 8, the ring 8, conductor 22, conductor, 24, bell 25, conductor 26, conductor 29, switch 28, and back to the other side of the battery by way of the conductor 30, thereby sounding the hell 25 and owing to the position of the head 16 of the contact stud 15, this circuit will remain closed for an appreciable length of time. At 9 oclock the minute hand will engage the stud 13 in the ring 11, while the hour hand will engage the stud 17 in the ring 9 and current will flow from one side of the battery 31, through the ring 11, contact stud 13, minute hand 7, hour hand 6, stud 17 in the ring 9, ring 9, conductor 33, conductor 36, buzzer 35, conductor 38, conductor 39, switch 40, and back to the other side of the battery 31, by way of the conductor 41. When using my apparatus in a. school, thebell 25 may be located on the outside of the building and the buzzer 35 in the class room.

If desired, the buzzer 35 may be eliminated and a relay 42 connected-with the conductors 36 and 38 and this relay 42 may control a number of local circuits 43 lead ing to the respective class rooms in a school 10 respectively may and each including a battery 44 and a bell or Other signal, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

It will be noted that the contact studs in the rings 9 and 11 may be so arranged as to close the controlled circuit at five minute intervals, or at intervals of longer duration, so that the bell, or bells as the case may be, may be sounded to indicate different class periods, while the studs in the rings 8 and be so arranged as to close the circuit of the bell 25 at various intervals to designate the beginning of classes, recesses, etc.

If it is desired to have the signal sounded for a longer time at an chosen hour, the corresponding sector 19 is moved into contact with the adjacent contact member 14,

whereupon the circuit through the hand and contact will continue, for a longer period, thereby increasing the duration of the signal.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation ma be made within the scope of the claim wit out departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: I

In an automatic call clock comprising a dial provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged contacts engageable by the hands and in circuit with a source of current and a signal device; means for pro longing the duration of the circuit through a selected contact, comprising a series of conducting plates arranged in circumferential alinement with said contacts in advance thereof and in the path of travel, of a hand, each of said plates being provided with longitudinal slots, and screws passing through said slots and into the dial, whereby selected ones of said plates may be moved into contact with and serve as a continuation of the adjacent contact.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB V. WILLIFORD. Witnesses:

JAMES W. GIBSON, CHAS. R. Karma. 

